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PBL: Effectiveness in the Diverse Classroom

Find an article on the topic of the effectiveness of Project Based Learning in diverse classrooms. Post a reflection on your thoughts regarding your research this week on Project-Based Learning. What were you able to find? How do you think PBL will fit into your teaching style? Do you have an idea for a project? If so, begin articulating it now.

From the research I have done, the strongest aspect of project-based learning is in how it develops skills beyond intellectual knowledge that students will need when they move on. By working in teams, students must learn to interact with one another. Placing students in groups with others who they might not normally associate with at school prepares them for a working environment where they will not know co-workers when they first start working. They need to learn how to integrate in order to form a cohesive team.

To increase the chance for success, teams need to be accountable for the success of each individual. This I believe would be the hardest concept for students new to PBL to accept. Many have always learned in an environment where only what they did mattered for their own grade. Students who have been previously successful might be initially agitated that they have to assist their fellow classmates in order to obtain a satisfactory grade. However, if the project is thoroughly planned and introduced to the students with clear and concise assessment rubrics, the students will be fully aware of what the requirements are from the beginning, then they can begin to understand how this different approach will benefit them.

Over the years, I have generally adapted my teaching to my students under the philosophy of whatever it takes. If my students need a whole class lecture approach, that is what I will do. If one-on-one tutoring is needed, then I will do that. This is not to say that it will be easy to incorporate PBL. The aspect of PBL that I think will be the hardest adjustment for me is in how the content is presented. As a math teacher at a school that is very test/numbers driven, I have always focused on teaching my students how to solve certain problems. Many of my students come from schools where they were unsuccessful in direct instruction, however, that is what they know and it is what they are comfortable with despite the results. Therefore, switching to a PBL classroom would be a big adjustment. Considering that we have an open entry/exit system, I will always have to deal with this issue.

I am a GED teacher. I cover each of the four subjects (Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies). I have students who need to pass all four test mixed in with students who only need to pass one, two or three tests. They are at different levels of ability with different strengths and weakness in each subject. Having a class on just one topic in a given period would not be beneficial as possibly half the students don’t need to focus on that topic. My thoughts are that for my project to be the most productive, it must involve students creating some sort of study guide or game that centers around concepts they need to focus upon in order to be successful on the GED test. This would allow students to develop the skills they need while creating material that their peers could use to strengthen their knowledge base. Teams could be assigned based upon whichever test(s) the students need to pass.